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Soccer: Lamar Hunt US Open Cup starts Wednesday

A record 99 U.S. soccer clubs will contest in a 104th U.S. Open Cup tournament, a usually foe in vital American veteran sports where pledge and lower-division (minor league) clubs can contest opposite clubs from a tip veteran league.

The contest is 8 rounds of single-elimination matches. Amateur clubs, that warranted a mark in a contest by possibly qualifiers or their 2016 joining finish, will play in a initial round. United Soccer League and North American Soccer League clubs will enter during a second round. Major League Soccer clubs enter in a fourth round.

To a lower-division clubs with ambitions to win a tournament, good luck. The USL’s Rochester Rhinos in 1999 are a usually non-MLS bar to win a contest given MLS’ initial deteriorate in 1996.

Four Oklahoma clubs (two pro, dual amateur) are in this year’s tournament. The OKC Energy and a Tulsa Roughnecks, both USL clubs, automatically validate and will start play during a second turn on May 17.

OKC Energy U23, an pledge group that plays in a Premier Development League, is creation a entrance in a tournament. Its competition is a Tulsa Athletic from a National Premier Soccer League. Wednesday’s compare will take place during a University of Tulsa Soccer Stadium.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has a order preventing Energy and Energy U23 from assembly before a final since a Energy provides Energy U23 technical support as a primogenitor club.

OKC Energy, Roughnecks competition scenarios

The Energy did not accept a auspicious pull and could have a logistic calamity depending on a outcome of a Moreno Valley vs. Ventura County Fusion first-round match. If Moreno Valley wins, a Energy will horde during Taft Stadium on May 17. But if Ventura wins, Oklahoma City will have to make a vapid midweek tour to Ventura, Calif.

The Roughnecks will not have to transport distant for their opening match. They will play a leader of a Energy U23 and Athletic during a University of Tulsa Soccer Stadium.

However, a Roughnecks would cite not to play their crosstown rival. Even yet a Athletic is an pledge club, it has achieved improved formula in 2016 and has a talent to reason a possess opposite a Roughnecks.

What’s during stake

For a lower-division clubs, a event to play and better a MLS bar is a biggest appeal. The Energy roughly did it in 2016 when it mislaid to FC Dallas, a contingent champion, in a chastisement shootout during a fourth round.

The bar from any multiplication that advances a farthest in a contest receives a $15,000 income prize. For a Energy and Roughnecks, an coming in a Round of 16 is a smallest to be in row for a prize. Energy U23 and Athletic will expected explain a income if possibly qualifies for a fourth round.

Bragging rights are also during interest given a poisonous U.S. Soccer Federation supporting and bar poaching between a USL-NASL and a NPSL-PDL, respectively.

The early rounds also underline interleague informal rivals that would differently never play any other, yet sadly there will not be an OKC Energy-Rayo OKC rematch this deteriorate after a passing of a later.